Kith and Kin
by wereworm
Summary: With Jason safe back in the Tower, Dick finally decides to try and talk to the others about what had happened the last time they encountered Deathstroke. (Set Post Season 2, Episode 5/6)


They'd never really used the med bay back in the day. Donna and Garth had been sturdier than the average person and Hank had avoided the bay the best he could, only using it when he didn't have the choice, nor the strength, to resist the other Titans' guiding hands. Dawn and Dick had been two of the smarter fighters, more aware of when to pull back and how to avoid getting into the situations where they could get more grievously injured. Not that they didn't get hurt, but the med bay had never been used for any longer than it had to be – just long enough to reset a broken bone or stitch a wound – and even then, it was reserved for the more major injuries where they couldn't just walk out of there.

Jason lies in one of the beds, eyes closed and heart monitor beating steadily, but he is overlayed with images of the time Garth had been stabbed and of Donna's pale face as she grits her teeth against the pain and of Hank and Dawn and even Roy. The Tower held traces of times long past wherever Dick went, but the memories of the old team were strongest here and he can feel his hands beginning to tremble as the fear of years of close calls come rushing back to him. He knows that Jason isn't that badly hurt, and that he'd been put under as a precaution, but it doesn't stop the fear that is dominating his mind right now. Dick quickly grabs the arms of the chair he had dragged over by Jason's bed and hopes that none of the others have noticed.

A quick glance around shows that no one is paying attention to Dick, but, as he looks at her, Donna's gaze flickers to his. Even though he doesn't think she'd seen anything, she still looks worried as she quickly checks him over. He can't even protest, as his own eyes scan her quickly for any previously unnoticed injuries. Fortunately, she looks fine and Dick feels something loosen within him. He looks past her shoulder, to where Dawn and Rachel are sitting next to each other on one of the other beds, Rachel's head leaning against her shoulder. Dawn's hand strokes down her hair, a slow and seemingly unconscious movement, as her eyes track Hank pacing down the length of the room. Gar, sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the bed from Dick, seems to be trying to ignore it, but his eyes flicker over to Hank each time he passes by. Dick can't help but be reminded of a cat and, while it's mildly amusing, Dick can't muster a smile, not that it'd even be appropriate right now.

A hand presses down on his shoulder and Dick tilts his head back to see Kory. Her hair is tied back for once, and her eyes tired, but the small smile she sends him is kind. Gratitude swells within him; he doesn't know what he would've done if she wasn't here. None of the old Titans are in his corner anymore, too bitter and jaded, and the kids are, well, kids. Subconsciously he relaxes and as he looks back across the room, Donna looks smug, waggling her eyebrows before turning away. Dick flushes, and Kory's grip tightens on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" She whispers.

Dick opens his mouth to stumble through a reply that doesn't give away just how deeply he feels about her, but then there's a twitch of movement from the bed. Jason. It starts with a few fingers, tapping against the sheets, then a hand, twisting at the wrist, and then Jason is opening his eyes to look blearily about the room. He blinks a few times and opens his mouth before quickly shutting it.

He opens it again a moment later and says, "Getting kidnapped, talk about a fall from grace."

"And from a building," Gar replies, "Which wouldn't have happened if we hadn't split up."

His gaze is pointed, and Jason just chuckles in response. It's a quiet and hoarse sound which has Donna pouring him a glass of water from the jug on the bedside table. Gar grabs the remote and the upper half of the bed lifts until Jason is sitting mostly upright. Rose even troops over from the far side of the room where she had been standing distinctively away from the others. The room falls silent again as they watch Jason slowly bring the glass up to his lips and sip at it until it's empty. Carefully, he puts it on the table and Donna fills it back up. Jason settles back down onto the bed, leaning into the pillows with a sigh.

Dick waits a moment, steels himself, and then clears his throat for attention. Immediately, far too many people turn to face him and Dick internally winces.

"I think we need to have an important talk, so you guys should leave," He says.

It's quiet for a few seconds before Jason asks, "Are you serious, man? You still gonna keep leaving us out? Even after everything that happened?"

Rachel doesn't say anything but the grim set to her face more than aptly conveys her feelings on the matter. Gar has shifted forward, and runs a hand over his face in annoyance, his brows furrowed, and face turned away from where Dick sits. Dawn raises her eyebrows at Dick in a pointed way, looking supremely unimpressed and a part of Dick wants to back down and let her do whatever she wants but he knows that he needs to do this. He's going to be the one staying here and helping them get better, not Dawn. So, it's his responsibility to fix this.

Dick sighs, "Come on, time to go."

"I'm in a hospital bed!" Jason exclaims, gesturing around him.

"I know," Dick replies, before looking Dawn straight in the eyes and repeating, "Time to go."

He wouldn't describe the slight twitch of her lips as a smile, but Dawn softens in a way that reveals just how tense she has been lately. He's not sure if it's because she doesn't approve of his choices or if it's just the tower bringing back bad memories, but it doesn't matter right now. He'll talk to her after. She sends a slight nod his way, and pulls back from Rachel, sliding off the bed and tapping Hank's shoulder as she walks past him to the door. Hank pauses for a moment before quickly following after her, his feet heavy and loud even as he disappears around the corner and down the hallway. Donna walks over to his side, tilting her head down to look at him.

"Debrief later?" She asks and Dick shrugs.

With a roll of her eyes, she ruffles his hair, before following suit after Hank and Dawn. Silence reigns the room as Dick tries to figure out what to say. He opens his mouth, thinks, and then shuts it again. It's moments like this he resents Bruce the most. They'd been so familiar with each other that talking hadn't been necessary and he hadn't needed anyone other than Bruce and Alfred so there was no reason to become eloquent. Then he'd had no one and had realised that all of the charm that he'd learnt as a performer had disappeared under Bruce's recalcitrant and distant care. He remembers trying to practise his smile in the mirror before he went in for his first day at Bludhaven and can only remember staring at an echo of his mother's smile; it had been unsettling and Dick hadn't tried again. It had been easier not to bother, to be known as a grouchy and standoffish cop rather than to try and be the person he was before Gotham. Dick didn't even think it was possible to try. At least, that's what he'd thought until Rachel had come to him.

"Dick?" Kory asks, jolting him from his thoughts.

"Right," He starts and then sighs.

He looks around and checks that he has everyone's attention before starting again, "We have encountered Slade before. He killed Garth."

Dick tries to ignore the way the name catches in his throat, the way it comes out sounding wrong and how much it hurts to say what had happened to his friend. Dawn and Hank had always been a part of the Titans, but the sidekicks had grown up together and losing Garth had hurt in the way that losing his parents had hurt. It was a sickly thing that had spread within him and, the same anger that had led to his final encounters with Zucco, had spurred him towards Deathstroke – and still was.

When Dick had mentioned the name, Jason and Rachel quickly turned to face Gar even though he's clearly not dead and Gar, despite being aware of his own liveliness, looks horribly confused. Rose reaches out with one hand, jabbing Gar in the shoulder, and Kory lets out a little snort of laughter. It cuts through the tension and Dick can feel himself starting to smile at their antics.

"Garth," He repeats, putting an emphasis on the last couple of letters, "Was a fellow Titan. Aqualad. Donna and I grew up with him, so when he was killed, it shattered the team. We managed to hold it together long enough to try and get revenge but not any longer after that."

Rose looks at him, "The name doesn't sound familiar."

Jason opens his mouth as if to add his own piece, but Dick holds up a hand and continues, "We made a lot of mistakes and by not telling you any of them, you're just doomed to end up like the old team did. I should have told you all of this before but …"

He was ashamed, he was worried about how they'd react if they know what he'd done. He hadn't known the kids very long, but he doesn't ever want to let them down. Dick had tried to stay distant, to not get too attached, but they were a family now and there was no going back. They had to know, his own fears be damned.

Leaning forward, Dick makes sure to look everyone in the eye, one at a time as he says, "Not telling you was a mistake, you're kids but you're also so much more than that. You are the new face of the Titans; you're not our replacements, you're our successors and I should have done everything I could to make sure you do succeed."

Dick looks to Jason, who, despite surviving the fall relatively unscathed had been looking more and more drowsy as the conversation continued. He blinks at Dick now, a slow movement where his eyes stay shut for longer than they should before inching open again. He looks like he's on the verge of sleep and Dick knows he'll have to continue the conversation later.

"I'd explain now but you're all tired and you probably need some time to yourself. I'll explain everything tomorrow, then you can decide if you want to stay or go."

Dick lowers his gaze to his lap, not wanting to see any hints of whether they'd take the offer to leave or not. He keeps his gaze lowered even as he hears the scrape of a chair pushing back against the hard floors and the heavy clunk of Rachel jumping off the bed. Two sets of heavy footsteps leave the room, closely followed by a much lighter pair that sounds familiar enough to put Dick on edge. He hears the heart monitor start to slow down again as Jason presumably drifts off. There's a sigh and the clack of heels as Kory pulls her hand away from his shoulder and walks around before him.

She reaches out, a single finger touching under his chin as she tilts his head up to face her. Her eyes, a shimmering and bright green, are filled with a warm affection. She leans down, bringing her face close to his, resting her forehead against his.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," She whispers.

"You don't know what I've done," He replies.

Her lips caress his ear as she says, "And you don't know what I've done."

She pulls back and continues, "I like to believe people are more than their pasts. I judge their actions and you were just trying to keep the kids safe. It wasn't the best way but your heart was in the right place."

She holds her hand out to him, letting him grip it, before pulling him up to his feet. He stumbles a bit but she steadies him, her other hand coming up to grasp his side. The hand holding his doesn't let go, and he twists it out of her hold. She lets hers start to fall away but he grabs it again, sliding his fingers in between hers. He squeezes once and she squeezes back.

"They love you, I'm sure they'll understand."

"Yeah."

They stay quiet for a few moments before Kory says, "You don't need to worry about them, I'm sure that'll sort itself out. What we _do_ need to worry about is the new kid. Do we know who he is?"

"No," Dick says, thinking of the boy sleeping in one of the spare rooms. They'd grabbed him, pulling him away from whoever had shot him and brought him back here. They'd patched him up, tugging the strange green bullets out of his chest and, oddly enough, the second the bullets had been removed, his skin had started pulling itself together again, and within moments he looked as if he hadn't been shot at all.

"Seems like the family is going to get bigger again soon," She says with a wry smile.

He starts to laugh, quiet and contained as he tries to avoid waking Jason up again.

"God, grocery shopping is going to be such a pain."

"Take-away?"

Dick pulls a horrified face, "We can't have take-away all the time."

"Based off what I've heard about the food you're providing, it seems like they need it."

"It's healthy," Dick protests.

"How about we cook together? You keep it healthy and I keep it tasty."

Dick pauses, thinking about what that would mean about them. There's no denying that he cares for her, but cooking together is a level of domesticity that he never thought he'd be able to have. Something tells him to not do it, to stay safe and alone, but he thinks of cooking with Kory. He thinks of the sight of her in the dying light of day, the final hints of the sun streaming through her hair, lighting it up in brilliant shades of red. He thinks of watching her taste his food, of sharing family recipes with her, and her telling him about hers.

"It sounds good," He finally says. It's not a lie but it's not fully accurate either. He aches for it, he longs to be able to have that with her.

"You're not alone, Dick. You have me," She leaves a meaningful pause before continuing, "And Rachel and Gar and Jason. Even if your old friends leave, we're going to stay."

"You have me, too."

"I know and I also know that all this shit that's going on, right now," Kory says, "We'll figure it out together."

"Together," Dick agrees, and he actually believes her.


End file.
